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The Farlight Initiative

Ch 3

There were numerous things Theo liked about the early morning. Jogging at dawn was one, but before that came breakfast, and before that, getting out of bed-- but before all of those was waking up beside Jen. Letting out a yawn, the Wolf sprawled out his limbs in every direction and paused, reaching out to feel the empty mattress beside him. Huffing out a dejected grunt, he rolled over and buried his face into his wife's pillow. Settling for simply enjoying her scent, he rubbed his face all over it, snuffling the fabric deeply as he made up for her absence.

The two had been married for almost seven years and their morning routine had remained consistent for much of it-- up until the last ten months. Considering their lives on Rho 2 was full of ever-changing chaos outside their home, the routine, Theo had found, was a comfortable kind of predictable. There were numerous things he had come to rely on as regular and consistent, but a lot of that had changed once he and Jen received their twins. He used to awaken in the morning and wonder at the wonderful kismet of it all that he had married his best friend and childhood playmate; in recent months he had been all but dumbfounded that their children-- a concept thought all but impossible-- had been successfully crafted for them out of their combined DNA.

Finally surrendering to the inevitability of the day (and the need to empty his bladder), Theo pulled the covers away from himself and sat up, reaching around to scratch his back as he lapped at the back of his teeth; had he forgotten to brush? No, he realized, it was just morning breath. The Wolf rarely had morning breath except when he slept more than eight hours at a time and, having gone to bed early the previous night he'd gotten-- shifting his attention to the clock, Theo yelped; it was already EIGHT?!?

Springing off of the mattress, the Wolf rushed into the bathroom. Although he liked long showers, Theo realized that there just wasn't time and he managed to complete the entire routine in less than twenty minutes; it was a record for him he was sure. From there, he quickly brushed his fur and changed into his day-to-day clothing. Time, fortunately, was on his side in that regard as it took far less time to put on a three-button shirt and a pair of khakis than it did to dress up in a three piece suit and tie. True, the latter was his preferred appearance but it just didn't make sense for the important outing that morning.

Once Theo was dressed he rushed out into the hallway and traveled down it toward the living room; he was sure Jen was waiting on him despite the fact that they didn't need to leave until 8:45 and it was barely after 8:30. Stepping into the common area, the Wolf saw that coats draped over the recliner and heard the clink of a spoon against a bowl in the dining room. Before he could even turn the corner Jen called out "Glad you could finally join us, sleepy head!"

Theo made his way into the side room where his family was seated; Jen was facing him at the head of the table with an empty plate in front of her, hand encircling a mostly empty mug of coffee. To her left sat Abe; the blonde haired, brown eyed boy was just finishing up cutting a piece of egg-covered toast into bite sized pieces but he wasn't so attentive to it that he couldn't stop to look up. "Hi Dad!"

Theo walked by and ruffled his son's hair. "Mornin, guy. Ready for your first day of school?" He continued past, leaning down to kiss Jen on the cheek.

Abe nodded vigorously before shoveling a piece of egg and toast into his mouth. "Oooh 'yeah! Ah 'an'h 'aih!"

Across the table from Abe sat Abby. The yearling wolf had tawny timber colored fur, much like Theo. She also had a spotted tongue, which she stuck out at her brother. "Don't talk with your mouth full, Abe."

Abe stuck his tongue back out at her, and at that point Jen stepped in. "That's enough you two. Abby, mind your breakfast and not your brother; Abe, don't talk with your mouth full."

Theo smiled at his wife and continued past her to move to his daughter. Abby sat on a custom stool which more resembled a bench; it allowed the four legged wolf to lounge at roughly the same height as a normal diner, providing her access to her plate which was set in front of her on the table. He rested a paw on Abby's head between her ears and gave it a gentle pat. "How about you, sweety? Looking forward to making new friends?"

Although Abby's tail wagged, it was a tentative one. "Yeah... but... do you think there are gonna be any other T-Breed Gens there, Daddy?"

Theo always believed in honesty so he offered a non-committal shrug. "It's hard to say, honey. I know that Farlight has a small population of T-Breeds but I'm not sure if there are going to be any in the district."

Jenn stood up from her seat, taking her mug with her as she went to the kitchen. "I checked with the teachers and it looks like Abe and Abby's class will be Humans and Gens with a few Cytkus. Gorumn and Voljoi students still have separate classes."

Abby's tail started picking up again "So there'll be other Gens like me?"

Theo offered her another soft pat on the head. "We'll find out together-- now finish up your breakfast so we can head out on time."

He joined his wife in the kitchen and she handed him a fresh cup of coffee; she held his paw in her hand as he drank it, both of them watching their two kids. Despite the oddity of having children getting ready to go to school for the first time, Theo couldn't help but smile; sure, he was scared as hell on the inside, but he was also at least as excited as they were, and he was willing to focus more on that than the fear of releasing his 10 month old children into the wilderness that was the colonial school system.

* * * * * *

The school, as it turned out, didn't end up being as bad as Theo had feared. Granted, back when he was educated it was in a corporate charter school, and he'd had to start it from the ground up, not unlike Jen. His kids, however, due to the rapid development time of his daughter, had been prepared for life in much the same was as other laboratory-produced Geneticons: they had the System, a subconscious learning implementation program that taught them the basics of early childhood development before they were even out of the artificial womb.

Theo was naturally a work-a-holic, and he did an excellent job of keeping the household running while Jen spent time with the little ones; all of the Wolf's spare time was happily utilized doing the same. Regardless, trying to speed up ten years of development into ten months would have been impossible without the System, so it turned out to be a blessing considering the non-traditional family.

Jen had been reluctant to agree to it at first but, after some discussion, it really just made sense. Plainly put, attributed to the lupine telomeres, both of their kids would have advanced physical growth for the initial six months of their life. By the time they reached their half year mark, Abe was the equivalent of a four year old and, by the time month nine had come and gone, Theo and Jen knew it wouldn't be long until school was in their future. Fortunately, the System made sure that they'd be ready for their student careers, which was a relief to the first time parents.

So, as Theo and Jen brought their kids to Central Farlight Primary, they were confident that both would be ready for the scholastic challenge to come, and both Abe and Abby seemed more than eager. Walking beside his sister, Abe flicked at the wolf's ear "I'm gonna get better on our test than you will."

Abby, almost twice her brother's weight, shoulder-checked him with a bump. "Nuh-uh. I'm gonna score higher."

Abe recovered his step and went to jump on his sister but Jen quickly interjected, moving to separate the rapidly escalating rough-housing. "Okay... okay you two-- that's enough. I'm sure you'll BOTH do well on your first test."

Theo quickly added "Which probably won't be for a few weeks yet. This is your FIRST day of class and they haven't taught you anything on which to test you."

Abby didn't relent. "Well... can you and Mom give us a test then?"

Glancing to his wife, the Wolf saw her roll her eyes; he felt the same way. Back when he and Jen were in school tests were not something to look forward to. Then again, he reasoned, Abe and Abby had been sequestered their entire lives and obviously eager to get out there and make their mark. Letting out a sigh, Theo said "Alright. If you two behave and make some friends then your mother and I will quiz you at the end of your first week."

The resounding dual-exclamation of 'yay' was silly, but it was also reaffirming. Despite the odd upbringing his children had experienced it was good for Theo to know that they were still on their way to being normal kids. Then again, he reasoned, back when he and Jen had been young their upbringing wasn't exactly traditional either and yet they'd turned out just fine. Rolling his eyes again, this time at is own foolishness, he simply smiled, reaching a paw out to take hold of Abe's hand. Jen likewise rested a hand on Abby's back as the family ascended the stairs toward the kids' new school.

Although Central Farlight Primary hadn't been the first colony school for Theo to visit (and he had actually visited it three times in an official capacity), it was the first time he'd actually looked one as a parent. The school system's high educational scores and student success rate had gained it a fair amount of attention within the urban area of Rho 2 thus it was the obvious choice for the couple when it came to their kids. The attentive administrative team was also a bonus, and the family was met by the Principal and Vice Principal of the school as they entered.

The Principal was a portly middle-aged Human, with a thinning hairline, deep tan, and ready smile. Theo had met him before and had identified him right away as an administrator who was very critical of following the rules, but he was also jovial and accommodating. His name was Kristoff Anderson, and he was the first to speak up. "Mrs. Thurstenburger-- Mr. Thurstenburger... welcome to CFP! Theo, it's a pleasure to see you again."

The Wolf went straight up to the Principal and took the offered hand in his paw, giving it a firm shake. "Likewise, Mr. Anderson. I hope you can appreciate the difference between an official visit and a personal one."

The rotund administrator was all smiles as he cracked business humor. "Of course... of course! Personal visits usually matter a whole lot less to the government, but a whole lot more to the families."

Theo offered a polite smile; while he was able to appreciate the humor he really was interested in making sure the introduction of his kids went smoothly. Jen took over the discussion from there, gesturing back to their children. "Principal Anderson, I would like you to meet our two children: Abe and Abby."

Theo stepped aside, motioning his kids forward. They moved to the front of the family unit obediently and Abe held his hand out to the Principal; Mr. Anderson gave it a firm shake, and when Abby offered her paw he did the same. "It's a pleasure to meet you both! I know you'll have a wonderful experience here at CFP."

Abby barely waited for him to finish before asking "Mr. Anderson, do any other T-Breeds come here or am I the only one?"

The Vice Principal, a short, slight, whisp of a woman named Dr. Rebecca Link stepped forward to address the question. The only other time Theo had met her he had the impression that she was a model administrator with attention to detail; not unexpected for a Neo-Human designed for administrative functions. Her response to his daughter's question only reinforced his impression of her. "There are eleven T-Breed students enrolled this year, not including yourself, Ms. Thurstenburger. CFP prides itself on a wide variety of teaching methods that are inclusive to all students."

The young wolf girl's tail started wagging immediately. "Eleven others! Oh wow! That's gonna be so cool!"

Principal Anderson took control of the conversation by gesturing toward the main hall. "If everyone would care to follow me, we have a half hour before classes begin and I would like to make sure that Abe and Abby are properly outfitted."

Theo glanced to Jen, who paused at that. She spoke up "I didn't know there was a dress-code for the school, otherwise I--"

The Principal chuckled jovially. "No... no... nothing of the sort, Mrs. Thurstenburger... I simply meant that all T-Breeds are provided a Vitruvian Harness-- it makes class work much easier, you see."

Although Theo had heard the term before, he'd never had the opportunity to learn much about them. "I haven't actually seen a Vitruvian Harness before... truth be told, I AM particularly curious."

Dr. Link spoke as she walked, leading the group down the hall. "It is an amazing piece of science with numerous applications. Two years ago an AETHER Corp engineer perfected it's machine-mind interface system. We will be fitting your daughter for one right now, so you'll have a chance to see how it works, Mr. Thurstenburger."

Abe, who had remained fairly silent until that point asked "It's... it's not gonna hurt Abby, is it? She doesn't like shots."

The young Wolf shouldered her brother. "Hey! Shut up!"

Principal Anderson intervened. "We do not use that kind of language here, Ms. Thurstenburger. You do not tell a fellow student to 'shut up'-- it's rude."

Abby huffed. "Well he--"

The Principal didn't relent. "It doesn't matter what he did. There are better ways asking someone to not say something."

Theo was gripped with a moment of self-reproach; Principal Anderson was right that saying 'shut up' was not exactly good manners, but neither he nor Jen had ever made much of a big deal about it. Were they bad parents? Jen's reassuring touch calmed him when she rested her hand on his forearm. Glancing to her, he saw her smile his way and, almost as if reading his mind, she said "I think it'll be good to get an outside point of view on proper behavior."

Dr. Link opened a door for the group, stepping aside to let everyone enter. "We believe very strongly in social responsibility and the importance of getting along. It's a priority for all of us here in Farlight City, let alone the school."

She was right, of course, and Theo found himself smiling at her statement. "Very true. I suppose it does help to start learning that sooner rather than later."

The discussion shifted from there as the faculty and the parents had a talk about the importance that public education played in developing a social conscience among kids. Jen was quick to point out that parents needed to take an active role in morality and Theo agreed with her, but he also couldn't deny Dr. Link's assessment that social bonds and relationships expanded exponentially once a child was introduced to others in a social setting.

As usual, it was Jen who brought things back to the important topic. Moving over to a collection of metal and plastic that looked like some kind of safety restraint she gestured to it, shifting the discussion immediately. "It looks as though we're down to just over ten minutes... is this one of the harnesses?"

Principal Anderson joined her by the hanger that held the device. "Yes it is. We received Abby's measurements and this one was set aside specifically for her."

Dr. Link removed the harness from the hook, holding it out to Jen. "There are some fitted clasps on either side that we can loosen and tighten to make sure that it's an ideal fit. Everything needs to be snug to make sure it isn't uncomfortable, but, more importantly, to create a secure mind-machine interface."

Abby, who had been antsy the entire time, began hoping on her hind legs, pawing at her mother excitedly as her tail lashed back and forth. "Oh! I wanna try it on! I wanna try it on! Put it on me, mom! Put it on!"

Jen reached out and placed her hand on her daughter's forehead, struggling to push Abby back to the ground. "I will, A-- Abby! ABBY! Abigail Thurstenburger, you sit still for a minute and stop bouncing so I can!"

Theo smirked as the 'full name' parental power had its desired effect and the young Wolf sat down; Abby's entire overflow of energy went straight to her tail, causing it to lash excitedly all over the place while she remained otherwise still. He moved to help Jen get the harness on his daughter and, with the help of Dr. Link, they managed to secure it in place. The Vice Principal then assisted with tightening down the different straps until it was secure. She then motioned to the back where a thick metal plate was situated; it looked almost like an aluminum water bottle. "The activation button is here."

Abby's tail immediately stopped. "There's a BUTTON? Aw man! How am I supposed to turn it on then?"

Jen smiled, rubbing her daughter's neck. "With help, of course."

Meeting his wife's gaze, Theo nodded, and he stepped back so Jen could press the indicated button. There was a soft, unspectacular 'beep' and she too withdrew. Dr. Link remained there, reaching down to rest a hand on Abby's back. "Alright, Ms. Thurstenburger... the Vitruvian Harness is active... just give it a moment to synch with your nervous system."

Theo glanced around the room; all eyes were on Abby, and even Abe, who was not above vying for attention, was transfixed, gazing at the device as if it were some great puzzle to solve. The seconds passed and, although all of the adults remained focused, Theo noticed that his son's excitement was starting to wane. Eventually Abe sat down on the floor with a huff. "I don't think it's working."

Abby, who had remained frozen in place ever since the button was pressed, stood up and gave her entirely body a shake, not unlike when she was getting out of the bath. She accentuated the movement with a huff "Eewgh... everything's tingly."

Dr. Link took a step back. "That means it's working. Just give it a moment and stay still young lady."

As everyone continued waiting, Principal Anderson noted "This technology has been in use for a few years now at Central... noted AETHER Corp engineer Dr. Surresh Makowi took it through several different iterations during the testing phase, and after approval it--"

Theo interjected. "This was one of Dr Makowi's inventions?"

Dr. Link glanced his way. "Yes Mr. Thurstenburger... He'd originally wanted to name it after himself, but the CEO encouraged something a little less... 'proprietary'."

The Wolf chuckled. "Ah... sounds just like him. It's been awhile since we've heard from Surresh and I suppose it's good to know he's still--"

The sudden and loud 'bang' silenced Theo's statement and all eyes went to Abigail, who stood frozen in place, four legs spread and planted firmly on the floor with all her fur on end. Her ears were flat back and she had her head craned so she could see the effects that a small mechanical hand had on the wall: a good sized dent in the plaster. The hand was connected to a segmented arm that protruded from the capsule on the back of her harness. Her tail tucked immediately as she looked toward the adults. "Did.... um... did I do that?"

Principal Anderson just laughed, but Dr. Link pulled a small set of electronic tools out of her coat pocket. "Yes you did, Ms. Thurstenburger... and I can see we are going to have to tone down the impulse gain on your harness..."

Abe was all laughs, and even Abby recovered from the initial shock fairly quickly. After some fine-tuning, Abby was given the all-clear and had a few minutes left to explore the 'right way' to control the robotic arm that the harness gifted her, providing her the means to function in a world that required opposable thumbs. All in all, Theo realized that, despite being unconventional, it probably wasn't the worst start to a school year. He and Jen were able to leave the school, much more confident that their kids would be fine in the skilled and prepared care of the faculty.

* * * * * *

Dinner time at the Thurstenburger household was far more full of excitement than it had been for a long time. Abe and Abby tried as hard as they could to talk over one another so they could tell their point of view of their day (despite, Theo noticed, that they agreed on almost every aspect of what happened). Abe focus was on the other students' personalities and the lessons they had been taught while Abby's attention had been absorbed the multitude of scents and the number of times she'd been able to sign her name using her artificial hand.

Abe was quick to interject at that point so he could regain control of the conversation. "Abby got in trouble for writing her name on her desk."

Jen spoke up immediately. "Abby, did you get in trouble today?"

Theo, meanwhile, also spoke. "Abe, are you tattling on your sister?"

Stopping to glance at his wife, it was all Theo could do to keep a straight face; he saw that Jen was having just as much trouble. They both lost it unfortunately when their children simultaneously admitted their fault. "Yeah."

After dinner the family reconvened to the living room where the kids managed to calm down a little and Theo carefully controlled the conversation so they could both speak. Abe told them about the new friends he made: Tim B-12 was the first generation son of two Neo Human parents; Gorge Fyne had the distinct honor of having been born on Earth; and he even made friends with a Bug Drone the class nicknamed 'Clicky'. The boy made a special point to note that Clicky was the only Bug in class.

Abby was right there to object. 'They're called Xtok-Tik-Klak-Tsn, not 'Bugs', Abe."

He objected immediately. "Bug is easier to say, and Mr. Filmore said it's okay to call em Bugs because it's an official term!"

Theo stepped in to keep the peace and asked Abby a follow up question. "What about you, young lady? Did you make any friends?"

As it turned out, she did. Although none of the other T-Breeds were in class with Abby and Abe, all students had lunch together in the cafeteria and had recess in the gym and school yard. Abby was accepted quickly enough into the little group and she made some fast friends. Although the little wolf was a grade behind the most of the group she managed to hold her own and, despite being chronologically months younger she fit right in thanks to her System education. One issue arose though when she was telling her story.

Giggling, Abby wagged her tail when she said "And when Abe came over to meet everyone it was real funny!"

Theo, whose own tail was languidly swaying back and forth smiled too. "And why's that, Abby-dearest?"

Abe grinned wide too. "They did everything I said! It was like we were playing Simon Says, but we weren't!"

Theo glanced to Jen, who's expression of concern caused his smile to disappear immediately. Leaning forward in her seat, his wife addressed their kids "Do you mean they elected you a leader of some kind, Abe, or--"

The young boy shook his head. "Nope. For the rest of recess they did everything I told em to without saying anything about it... it's like they though I was a teacher. It was really weird, but fun too."

Although Theo wasn't quite as familiar as industry secrets as Jen was he knew enough to have an idea what that was about. Glancing sidelong to her, the Wolf asked "H-Gene?"

She nodded in return. "H-Gene."

The two parents knelt down to join their kids on the floor; Theo felt a sickness weighting down his stomach and he could tell Jen was fighting to overcome the same sense of revulsion over what they'd just heard. Jen was the one to bring it up. "Abe... you know how you, your sister, your dad and I are special... right?"

Abe nodded. "Yep! We were special-made."

Jen smiled. "That's right. A lot of people here in Farlight are special-made, and, even those who weren't special-made are still special."

Abby flicked her tail. "We talked about that this afternoon in class!"

Theo reached out and pulled his daughter to him, giving her a hug. "That's good, Abby. I'm glad they talk about this kind of thing in class."

Jen continued with what she had to say. "Abe... do you remember when your father and I taught you and your sister about where your dad comes from?"

Abby interjected loudly and proudly. "Designer Domestics, preliminary design, elite series, first run!"

Nodding, Jen reached out and touched her finger to Abby's nose. "That's right... but I was asking your brother, smarty-tail."

The little wolf giggled, wagging, and Abe climbed into Jen's lap. "Dad isn't like most Gens because he was special made by Grandpa."

She gave Abe a hug. "That's right, sweety... most LHI Designer Domestics were similar in a lot of ways to other production Gens, but the Elite Series like your father were even more different... but one way ALL LHI models were different was that they didn't have a lot of the genetic programming that other Gens did."

Abby whispered in a theatrically loud way "They were brainwashed, Abe."

Theo gave his daughter a light poke. "That is NOT a nice thing to say, young lady."

She let out a playful growl and turned back to nip at his paw. "Rawr! But it's true, Daddy! When they were made Humans made em to listen."

Abe paused, looking at his sister when she said that. He fidgeted with the sleeve of his shirt before looking up to Jen. "Um... mom?"

She looked back down at him. "Yes, Honey?"

He spoke hesitantly, squirming in her lap. "I.... um... I-I mean... d-do... do you think that the T-Breed kids were brainwashed?"

What had started as a very lighthearted, very uplifting day had suddenly turned into a very heavy night-time discussion, and that was when Theo and Jen decided that their kids needed to learn about the H-Gene: the genetic coding that made the Gens carrying it complacent and compliant to Human orders. It was a long and uncomfortable discussion which continued between the couple after their kids were tucked in. It led to even more stress.

It was a painful wake-up call for Theo, but he was worried more about his wife. Jen was a crusader when it came to resolving wrongs and they had uncovered one very obvious problem. They were up until nearly three in the morning going over the different options available to address the issue of the inherited gene that third and fourth generation Gens were still having to cope with. Granted, the Farlight Outpost was very particular when it came to immigration and who they would accept as a colonist but, as Jen pointed out, one bad Human could cause a lot of damage.

In the end, the only thing he could offer that would get her to put a pin in her concern was a promise. "I'll contact Alvin and AETHER Corp when the next comm cycle comes up and explore our options."

It was the right thing to say. They had been laying in bed for over an hour with obviously no intention of getting to sleep but, once he had made that suggestion she turned and embraced him, letting out a deep breath as she snuggled her face into the side of his neck. "Thank you, Theo... I know I drive you crazy sometimes with stuff like this, but it's important."

Smiling, he pulled her closer yet and kissed her forehead. "Jen... you drive me crazy all the time... but that's a good thing."

She kissed him back. "Charmer."

Theo winked. "What can I say? I was made that way."